


Just Say Yes

by MandMandM



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: A Week of Kagehina, Alternate Universe - Historical, Crossdressing, Drama, Fictional Kingdoms, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Romance, Royal Balls, Royalty, Volleyball Action
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-24
Updated: 2015-06-29
Packaged: 2018-04-05 22:43:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4197822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MandMandM/pseuds/MandMandM
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For never was a story of more woe<br/>Than this of Shouyou and his Tobio.</p><p>The rivalry between Karasuno Kingdom and Aoba Johsai Kingdom is as scary as ever. The meeting of two princes proves how disruptive the rivalry is to the kingdoms and its inhabitants.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. To Hitoka's 10th Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> This was done way before Kagehina Week ended, but I’m just not happy with the way I wrote this fic. It was so cute in my mind—what happened? (Maybe it’s just me)  
> Hope you still like it!  
> Chapter two on the way soon~
> 
> Day 2 (June 15)  
> subtle - adjective. hard to notice or see; not obvious

It’s a very fine September afternoon. Rain has fallen in the morning and ended after lunch, making the skies a very clear blue during the rest of the day. People grab this opportunity to enjoy the weather, and Shouyou and his brothers are no exception.

“Bweh!” Shouyou exclaims once the ball hit him squarely in the face. He flails and eventually loses to gravity, falling on his back. There is a stinging sensation on his face, and he lifts a hand to nurse his nose. “Ouch, that hurts!”

“Shouyou!” There are footsteps and Yuu’s worried face appears in his line of vision. “You okay?”

“I’m so sorry, Shouyou!” Ryuunosuke’s horrified expression makes Shouyou want to smile because it’s so funny when Ryuu is panicking. But his face is aching too much to manage a smile.

“Uh, eh, I’m fine. Help me up?” Shouyou asks, lifting his hand as a gesture. Both Yuu and Ryuu grab it and pull him up to his feet.

“Let us see your face,” Yuu insists, eyeing the nose Shouyou is massaging softly. “Ah! Your nose is red—but it’s not bleeding, thank God.” He exhales in relief.

Shouyou feels a hand fall on his shoulder and looks up to find his remorseful brother, frowning. “Ryuu-nii, it’s okay. It doesn’t hurt much! Actually, this is nothing compared to when Takeda-sensei’s dog bit me!” he says proudly.

Yuu and Ryuu freeze. “You got what?!”

Shouyou’s eyes widen when he realizes his blunder. His hands go to his face in horror, but the sudden impact with his nose makes him yelp.

“Don’t touch it!” Yuu shouts and swats Shouyou’s hands away from his face. He sighs. “Geez, Shouyou, you’re always getting into trouble and hurting yourself. Ah, but it’s Ryuu’s fault this time.” He gives Ryuu a disproving look and gets a glare in return. The atmosphere is starting to be tense, making Shouyou gulp.

“I didn’t mean to!” Ryuu says defensively. “That spike was my normal spike.”

“And I’ve been teaching Shouyou how to receive well, so whose fault is this?”

“Hey, hey!” Shouyou shouts to get their attention, which is successful. “Yuu-nii, Ryuu-nii, you didn’t do anything wrong. I was simply distracted while playing. Sorry.”

He hangs his head, knowing he disappointed his brothers who are going through the trouble of teaching him volleyball instead of doing other things. Suddenly an arm slings on his shoulder. He finds Yuu smiling and Ryuu shaking his head in front of them with a grin, too. Relief washes over him.

“You cute kid!” Yuu ruffles his hair. “You’re always making us worry. And spacing out won’t do, okay? Volleyball demands focus.”

“I know. Sorry.”

“You’re usually so excited to play, Shouyou. What’s wrong this time?” Ryuu asks curiously.

Shouyou pouts when he remembers. “It’s Hitoka’s birthday tonight.”

“It’s Hitoka-chan’s birthday already?” Yuu asks. Shouyou nods. “And? What’s the problem?”

“It’s my first time out of the kingdom and into Yachi Kingdom. And I don’t know what gift I should give her—I don’t feel comfortable asking Mom.”

“Why? And, Shouyou, it’s Dad,” Ryuu reminds him. “I know we have two dads for parents, but it’s really…. I don’t know.”

“Who cares, Ryuu. They’re the best parents ever! Anyway, why feel that away about Dad-Mom is—”

Yuu doesn’t finish what he has to say when a shout of “Ah, there you are!” make them all freeze.

“Crap, it’s Sensei!” Ryuu whisper-yells. “What should we do, Nii-san?”

“I don’t know! It’s too late to run,” Yuu answers in the same manner.

“Takeda-sensei!” The older brothers turn in shock when Shouyou excitedly welcomed their angry-looking teacher. It was a good move, though, as Takeda’s face softens a bit.

“What are you three doing here? His Majesties are looking all over the castle for you. Especially you, Prince Shouyou.”

“Ooh! Why are Dad and Dad-Mom looking for me? Are we preparing for Hitoka’s birthday? Am I finally going out of the kingdom?”

“You’re too excited, Shouyou!” Yuu chuckles.

“Can’t blame him, Nii-san. It’s his first trip out of Karasuno.” Ryuu grins.

Takeda suddenly looks uncomfortable. “About that, Your Highnesses, uh, it would be better if you talk to His Majesties in person.”

The three look at each other, thinking if they did anything wrong than sneaking off to play volleyball.

.

.

“Why can’t I go?” Shouyou asks his mom-slash-dad for the umpteenth time that day.

Suga, sighs. “Shouyou, once your father has decided, people will have a hard time changing it. He’s the king of our kingdom, after all.”

He pouts. “And you’re the queen, Mom.”

Suga laughs and pinches his adorable ten-year-old’s puffed out cheeks, making Shouyou grimace and turn sideways, away from his mom-slash-dad’s reach. “Yes, I am, and you’re the prince—Karasuno’s little prince.” Suga smiles.

Shouyou juts out his lower lip even more. “Not fair! Why are you babying me like this? Yuu-nii and Ryuu-nii never got this treatment.”

“Because you’re our youngest, Shouyou.”

“And because I’m the youngest, you don’t let me explore outside the kingdom? You won’t even allow me to attend Hitoka’s birthday party?” Ever since he’s asked them ages ago and they allowed, he’s been looking forward to this day—the moment he steps out of the kingdom. He can’t accept to have his dream crushed.

Suga sighs. “They invited Aoba Johsai. Of course, your father will automatically ban you from going.”

He scowls. “Just because we’re enemies.”

“That’s how it is.”

“Mom, I promised Hitoka I’d be at her tenth birthday. Please let me go. Please,” Shouyou begs, making his face pitiful, which is a weapon he doesn’t know he possesses.

Suga almost gives in when a sharp “That’s enough, Shouyou” makes them turn around and see Daichi walking towards them with his entourage.

“Dad! Please lemme go to—”

“I said that’s enough, Shouyou,” Daichi scolds coldly. “Now, go to your room and get change for dinner.”

Shouyou looks down, fighting tears and gripping the edge of his jersey tightly.

“Daichi, you’re too harsh,” Suga scolds back. Then he turns to Shouyou. “Go change since we’re about to eat. Tell your brothers to clean up, too, okay?”

Shouyou doesn’t respond.

“Shouyou,” Daichi starts. “Do as the king and queen say.” Then his eyes soften before adding, “Please.”

He stares up at his father with tears streaming down his face. “I’m sorry, Dad.” He runs away, ignoring Suga’s call for his name.

He dashes around the castle without looking. He knows every corner of the place he calls home already. Having spent the majority of his time here, he has no choice. Even the entire Karasuno kingdom, he has memorized. He wants to see and learn more, but his parents, the king and queen, have strict rules for venturing outside the kingdom. All because of the rivalry. All because of the kingdom of Aoba Johsai.

Shouyou is forbidden to be free, thanks to them.

He hasn’t met or seen the rulers of Aoba Johsai nor the princes or princesses, if they have any. Aoba Johsai Kingdom is careful in giving Shouyou’s kingdom information, too. All he knows is that for this generation, the queen of Aoba Johsai is also a male. This is something his parents find frustrating. He never understands the kingdom rivalry. And he doesn’t want to. All he cares about is that it’s getting in his way.

He locks himself up in his room, defying his parents by not making a move to dress appropriately for dinner. After a few minutes, he hears knocking on his door.

“I don’t want dinner!” he shouts to the maids. However, he stiffens when he hears a voice different from what he expects.

“Oh, did you hear that, Ryuu? Our big eater of a baby brother doesn’t want dinner.”

“Too bad, Nii-san. Does that mean he still doesn’t want it if it’s food from Hitoka-chan’s party?”

In a flash, he gets his door open and finds his two brothers, already out of their jerseys and clad in proper princely clothes, grinning mischievously down at him.

“What are you—mph!” Shouyou’s mouth is clamped shut by Yuu’s hand and his brothers hurry into his room.

“Don’t shout, you idiot!” Ryuu whisper-yells. “We just sneaked off, you know.”

“But—”

“We’ll explain later,” Yuu says. “First, you need to shower and change.”

Shouyou frowns. “I’m mad at Dad, so I don’t wanna—”

“Geez, you’re so stubborn. We’re taking you to dinner. We’re taking you to Hitoka-chan’s party, okay? Hey, calm down,” Ryuu says.

But Shouyou is already cheering, jumping up and down excitedly with his little fists in the air.

“Yeah, and we’re going to be sneak out—like ninjas.” Yuu grins, posing in that cool manner of his. He cheers again. “So go shower!”

Shouyou doesn’t need any more explanation after that.

* * *

The ball bounces off the blocker’s outstretched hands and ricochets off the floor with a dull thud. Tobio’s already sour mood worsens, enough to burn a forest by now. He refuses to meet his smirking brother’s eyes.

“Was that a spike? How pathetic,” Kei mocks. Even his eyes look like they’re smirking.

“Tch.” Why did he agree to play with this giant freak again?

“Ah, Tobio-kun, please don’t take Tsukki seriously. Making fun of you is his way of showing affection,” Tadashi quickly says.

“Shut up, Tadashi. It’s not like that at all.”

“Sorry, Tsukki!”

Tobio scoffs, choosing not to question Tadashi’s weird nickname for his brother and the latter’s indifferent acceptance to it. It’s so obvious they like each other, so they should just get together already. Even their parents are match-making them behind their backs. Kei and Tadashi are still talking, so he goes to pick up the ball. His brother is ridiculously good, and although he hates Kei’s teasing, he can’t help admiring Kei’s athletic abilities. He’s tall, quick-witted, and so composed that his opponents have a hard time predicting his next move. Tobio hopes to become like Kei soon.

“Tobio,” Kei calls out, pulling him out of his reverie. “Has Father told you?”

“About what?”

“We won’t be attending the party at Yachi Kingdom.”

“Eh?” Tobio says numbly. His grip on the ball slackens until it falls and bounces away. He doesn’t pay it any mind, though. “Why? I thought—”

“He says Karasuno’s invited.”

Karasuno. Their enemy kingdom. Ever since he can remember, he’s heard nothing but bad things about Karasuno. The reason why he and Kei can’t go out of the kingdom on their own will is because they might get attacked by assassins from Karasuno. He hates them for all the things they did to their kingdom, as well as for robbing him of his freedom.

“Damn Karasuno,” Tobio mutters.

“Language, Tobio-kun,” Tadashi says before nudging Kei. “Why don’t you tell him to watch his language, Tsukki?”

Kei raises a brow. “He’s old enough to know what he must and mustn’t do.”

“He’s ten!”

“And doesn’t act like it.”

“Tsukki!”

Kei sighs loudly, looking down at Tobio while Tobio glares up at him. “If you were a normal ten-year-old, you would’ve thrown a tantrum by now. Don’t you want to go to Hitoka’s party?”

Tobio grits his teeth. “I want to! But Karasuno will be there, so what—”

Kei snorts. “Look at you, getting scared at the enemy when you haven’t even seen them.”

“I’m not scared!”

“Personally, I don’t care about the rivalry. I think it’s a stupid tradition that gets passed down from generations to generations. That’s why, I’ll go with Tadashi tonight as his date.”

“T-Tsukki?!” Tadashi looks like this is the first time he’s heard of this.

Tobio’s eyes are wide. “But what will our parents say?”

“Who cares about what they say?”

“Tsukki! Wha—”

“Can you shut up for a while, Tadashi?”

“But—”

“Ah!” Tobio exclaims, pointing at the two. “You’re just using me as an excuse to date Tadashi-san!”

Silence falls before Tadashi denies what Tobio said and questions where he got that idea. Kei remains silent as he stares down at Tobio.

“So you’re not coming with us then?” he challenges Tobio.

Does he want to come with Kei and Tadashi? Of course not! He’s positive they’ll do sickeningly romance-y stuff with him around. And they’re sneaking off, which is bad. Kei and Tobio are the princes of Aoba Johsai. What will everyone say? What will their Fathers say? There’s too much risks. There’s too much to lose. There’s—

“Our parents aren’t even around,” Kei adds in.

Ah, that’s right. Their parents have left this afternoon for an important event in an allied kingdom. No one is watching them exactly. If he leaves with Kei, none will be the wiser. But if he doesn’t, he’ll lose the chance to see the outside of Aoba Johsai. He might not have another chance like this again.

Just like that, he changes his mind. He recalls the sick feeling he has for always staying indoors and within the kingdom’s grounds. He wants a change of view. He’s tired of being alone and friendless. And going to Princess Hitoka’s party will solve all his problems.

“Okay. I’ll go with you.”

Kei grins while Tadashi mutters, “Very subtle, Tsukki.”


	2. Like a hurricane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The meeting of the two that must never meet. 
> 
> Shouyou's escape. Yuu and Ryuu being cool brothers. Hitoka's brilliant plan. Tadashi and Kei's not-so romance continues. And Tobio has a realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 3 (June 16)  
> pause - verb. to cease or suspend an action temporarily.  
> move - verb. to change in position from one point to another; to stir the emotions.
> 
> Sooo, my “after lunch” promise to TheUsedDecoy turned out to be “two days later after dinner.” Forgive me.
> 
> Thanks to HQ scans, I just found out that Kagehina already has a royalty AU, and it’s WONDERFUL. Now what am I supposed to do with this crap welp

If Shouyou thought his brothers were about to do something cool, he was disappointed. Well, not completely. The plan is for them to ask permission to go to Nekoma Kingdom, while Shouyou will pretend to sulk in his room. Whenever he had rare bouts of rebelling, he would lock himself up in his room and watch movies. Loudly. Yuu and Ryuu decide to make that their advantage, and the three stealthily crawl to Yuu’s room through Shouyou’s balcony, Shouyou’s door locked from the inside and speakers blasting lines and effects from _Avengers_.

Shouyou waits in Yuu’s room while his older brothers leave to lie to their parents. Saying it that way makes Shouyou feel guilty. He doesn’t want to upset his parents. They are good and kind people, and he loves them so much. But Yuu and Ryuu’s constant complaints about the ridiculousness of the kingdom rivalry have grown on him, too. For some reason, Shouyou’s generation is an abnormal one. They don’t accept the rivalry. They oppose it. Is there a reason to that?

Shouyou is so lost in thought the door opening almost makes him jump.

“Hey, the plan’s working. Dad and Dad-Mom agreed and think you’ve holed up in your room.” Yuu grins and clasps Shouyou on the shoulder once the younger is near. “Let’s do this.”

With his brothers’ help, he reaches the garage without anyone seeing him. How? That’s simple! He hid between his two big bros! Though the adjective is pushing on his Yuu-nii.

Ryuu walks to the sleek black car he got on his eighteenth birthday. “Get in. I’ll get us there in no time!” Yuu and Shouyou hop in without another word.

On the way, Shouyou is vibrating in his seat. Yuu has to calm him down five times, and the only reason there isn’t a sixth time is because the great gate appears into view. Shouyou dives down, so as not to be seen by the guards.

“Your Highnesses,” the guard greets after Ryuu has rolled down his window. “Nekoma Kingdom, am I right?”

“Yup! Taketora says he’s missing me! Can you believe it?” Ryuu guffaws, and Shouyou has to admit it sounds forced.

“Y-yes, sir. Have a safe trip.”

“Thanks! Catch you later!”

They breathe a sigh of relief once that was over. At least the guards didn’t suspect anything.

“So, are you coming to Hitoka’s party, too?”

Yuu shakes his head. “Nope. We’re going to Nekoma. Can’t have our dads sniffing us out on our own game. King Kuroo won’t cover for us if we just called, you know.”

“Oh.”

Soon, Shouyou arrives at the Yachi Kingdom’s grand castle. He is thirty minutes early for Hitoka’s party, thanks to Ryuu-nii. He gives his name to the butler in charge of announcing, and a smiling maid directs him to where the party is. It’s not yet crowded, so he wanders freely when he’s let alone.

He lets his mind wander. First, his gaze is drawn to the family portrait of Yachi Kingdom where Hitoka stands, looking very happy to be standing between his parents. Shouyou understands her reaction in the picture more than anyone, though, from her countless visits to Karasuno. Hitoka’s had busy parents so she’s always left alone with the maids. Shouyou encouraged her to tell her real feelings to them, and apparently she did, because Shouyou got a call that night, Hitoka gushing and crying about her parents and understanding and portraits. He was happy for her.

Thinking of Hitoka’s family makes him think of his own. His brothers, in particular. He really admires his brothers for sticking up with him. They must have understood his feelings to go to this extent, what with having already experienced venturing outside. His parents only allow people above eighteen, save for some important reason, to leave the kingdom.

Shouyou thinks Hitoka’s party is an important enough reason, so he’s been asking permission to her party since he was six. When Hitoka first invited Shouyou for her sixth birthday party, neither of them was aware of the one strict rule of Karasuno Kingdom. Daichi and Suga were vehement in not allowing him. Yet, he persisted because one, Hitoka is one of his closest friends, and two, he wants to go to her kingdom for once. In the end, his parents pitied him and allowed him to attend once he’s a bit older—on Hitoka’s tenth birthday.

But intel about Aoba Johsai coming into the party changed all that.

Shouyou shakes his head. _I’m already here! I should forget about them. I don’t even know what the Aoba Johsai royal family look like! All I’ll do tonight is have fun in Hitoka’s party._ Shouyou nods to himself.

Still, Hitoka’s kingdom does not disappoint him. He knows from Takeda-sensei’s teachings that Karasuno is home for agriculture while Yachi is for the arts. He never imagines seeing so many artworks in one place. The castle has it all—creative things made of wood, glass, paper, and stone. Even when he was in the car, he couldn’t stop admiring the view of the colorful city.

He made the right decision. Coming to Yachi Kingdom is truly remarkable.

Everyone he sees in the party is dressed elegantly. And Shouyou blends in with his own princely clothes. The adrenaline from sneaking away has worn off, and now, he feels nervous, all alone in a sea of foreign faces. Aside from Hitoka, he doesn’t know anyone from outside Karasuno. Oh, right, there’s Nekoma. But they’re not here tonight.

Yuu and Ryuu told him they’d be back to pick him up in three hours. This is going to be a long night.

“Shouyou, is that you? Shouyou!”

He hears Hitoka’s voice and grins widely when he meets his friend’s eye. “Hitoka! I did it! I’m here!”

Some people heard Hitoka’s call and tried to engage her in a conversation, but she politely excused herself and let her maids do all the explanation. Shouyou’s eyes widened. It has only been four months but Hitoka’s entourage doubles in number.

“You’re here! It’s been a long time!” Hitoka says politely like she’s been taught to, Shouyou thinks. But she matches Shouyou’s grin and throws her arms around him once she’s close. “I missed you!”

He laughs and hugs her back. “Thank you for inviting me!”

They pull apart and start jumping in place like the ten-year-old kids they are.

“Your castle is so pretty!” Shouyou gushes.

Hitoka smiles before craning her neck around. “You’re not with Prince Yuu and Prince Ryuunosuke?”

He laughs nervously. “They dropped me off, actually. I came all by myself.”

“What? Shouyou, what happened? Where’s King Daichi and Queen Suga? Your entourage?”

He shakes his head, biting his lip when Hitoka looks scandalized. “They didn’t want me to go. Said Aoba Johsai will be here.”

“Aoba Johsai?” she asks in surprise. “I didn’t know they were invited! I haven’t even met Prince Kei and Prince Tobio yet.”

“Huh, so there are two princes in Aoba Johsai?”

She nods. “Prince Kei is Prince Ryuunosuke’s age, and Prince Tobio is the same age as us. But, Shouyou, what will we do? You’ll get into trouble if you’re found out! What if Aoba Johsai kidnaps you?!”

He waves her off. “Don’t worry, Hitoka. My brothers say nothing of the sort happened between our kingdoms.”

“You can’t know that!” she says in panic. “What if they changed their minds now? Did you give your name to the butler?”

Shouyou nods slowly, not getting the reason for her panic. On second thought, Hitoka always panics. She begins crying in despair.

“Oh, Shouyou, you shouldn’t have! Now they know you’re here. What should we do? If you died, it’ll be my fault!”

“Calm down, Hitoka. I can take care of myself.”

“You can’t! You’re ten! See, we have same heights.” She holds him by the shoulders, as if to emphasize her point. He pouts at Hitoka—he doesn’t need a reminder of his height—but Hitoka gets this contemplative look and starts staring Shouyou up and down. “Is it just me or you didn’t grow?”

“Hitoka, that’s mean!”

“Hmm, and you look so thin you can pass off as a girl if I dress you up as a lady.”

“Huh?” What’s Hitoka talking about?

“Listen, Shouyou,” she says, all serious, “if you want to enjoy the party without endangering yourself, you should put on a disguise.”

“Disguise?” he asks uncertainly.

Hitoka nods fiercely. “Yes, and I know just the thing.” She turns to her maids. “I need your help. Let’s all get back to my room!”

* * *

“Name, sires?”

“Uh, Tadashi, Yamaguchi Kingdom.”

“Prince Tadashi from the kingdom of Yamaguchi!” the butler announces.

Tadashi’s flushes, and Kei smirks at him. _Here comes the flirting_ _I don’t want to see_. Tobio cringes.

“Kei and Tobio from Aoba Johsai,” Kei says for the two of them.

“Princes Kei and Tobio from the kingdom of Aoba Johsai!”

They make their way inside once the announcement is made. The castle is more magnificent than theirs, what with the architecture and the mosaic filling the ceiling, among others. Tobio admires with wide eyes. This is even better than he imagined.

“Tobio, are you going to stick with us all night?” Kei asks with an eyebrow raised.

Tobio bristles. He wants to say no, but now that he’s actually out, he finds everything scary. These are people he hasn’t seen or talked with in all his life. There are lots of kids running around his age—since Princess Hitoka is the same age as he is—but he finds mingling with them…. embarrassing. Does he look okay? Normal? Kei always teases him, saying he’s born with a permanent scowl on his face. Will his face get in the way? His clothes?

He’s just embarrassed about everything.

“Tsukki, don’t bully him. It’s his first time out after all,” Tadashi admonishes.

Kei shrugs. “I’m just saying. How is he going to meet new people at this rate?”

“Just let him go his own pace!”

“His pace is painfully slow, though.”

“Tsukki!”

Tobio exhales a sharp breath, the same time as Kei did. They look at each other; Kei smirks while Tobio turns away with a glare.

“By the way,” Kei says to him. “Beware of Karasuno. They might just kidnap you, you know?”

“Hah?” Tobio exclaims in shock.

“Tsukki!” Tadashi says exasperatingly.

However, the trumpet sounds at that time, and they all look up to see the doors at the top of two grand staircases open. Princess Hitoka emerges in a big and colorful gown. She slowly descends while Tobio and the rest clap, the common courtesy. She walks over to the front center of the hall where a mic is on standby.

“Hello,” she says timidly. “Welcome to my birthday party, everyone. Please enjoy yourselves tonight!”

Everyone claps again. The music begins to blare from somewhere, and the audience becomes a lot less composed. The chatter turns incessant, taking Tobio aback because he’s never been in this kind of situation before. He never holds parties on his birthday, and neither does Kei. Their parents have a reputation of throwing crappy parties, so no one partied at their palace. This is really a first for him.

Speaking of family. Tobio glances around and tries to dislodge the panic rising in his throat. His brother and Tadashi are suddenly missing, and even though he doesn’t want to know what icky romance-y stuff those two are up to, he doesn’t want to be alone. He wastes no time finding them.

He is so intent on searching, walking bristly in this semi-crowded hall that he doesn’t notice someone in front of him walking from the other way. As a result, they bump and since he’s taller and bigger, he is able to regain his balance while the other falls on the floor. To Tobio’s horror, he bumped with a girl.

“Ah—I’m sorry!” he says quickly, bending down to offer both hands to her. _What a nice shade of orange_ , he thinks, staring at messy, shoulder-length curls. “Are you all right?”

The girl was busy clutching something, but when he knelt down, she glances up at him and Tobio feels a strange jolt to see large, brown eyes. His throat becomes dry, even when the girl speaks in an embarrassed tone, “It’s okay. I wasn’t looking where I’m going.” The voice he hears is a mix of high-pitched and boyish, which surprises him. He shouldn’t be, after seeing that semi-angular face that somehow reminds him of boys. “Excuse me,” she says before scrambling to her feet and dashing out of sight.

Tobio stares after her in a daze. He jumps when a hand lands on his shoulder.

“Whoa, where’s the fire?” Kei teases.

Tobio glares, willing the warmth to leave his face. Whether it’s from embarrassment or from his meeting with the girl, he doesn’t know. “Where were you? I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

“Sorry, Tobio-kun,” Tadashi says sheepishly. “I dragged him with me when I saw some friends. We thought you were tagging along.”

Kei turns back to Tobio. “Are you doing something old-fashioned again? Like courting that girl?”

“W-what?” he sputters. “What’s wrong with being old-fashioned? Do-don’t treat me like you! Being sappy and falling in love!”

To his delight, Kei and Tadashi blush. Tadashi is playing stupid again by asking him what he means while Kei remains silent, sending suspicious glances Tobio’s way when he thinks Tobio isn’t looking.

Soon, a server interrupts them to offer refreshments, and Tobio happily sips his orange juice. As he stares at his drink, he feels another thrill go through him when he recognizes why he picked the juicy drink out of the many. The color looks so familiar. The girl he bumped with earlier had the same hair color—which, if Tobio is being honest, is a weird hair color. Without realizing it, he’s searching the crowd for a spot of orange.

He sees her.

The girl is chatting with Princess Hitoka, and although he is a little far away, he can see them laughing. His heartbeat quickens when the orange-haired girl turns her face to his direction and laughs.

_So pretty._

Suddenly, two boys his age approach Princess Hitoka and the girl. They talk until one of the boys escorts Princess Hitoka to the middle, followed by the second boy and the girl. Tobio watches as the girl dances, not as graceful as he expected but at least she’s on the right track nonetheless. She seems to be hesitating. Maybe she doesn’t feel comfortable around the boy she’s dancing with?

Tobio doesn’t know what came over him, but he is across the hall and in front of them before he realizes what he’s doing. He stiffens, and the two stare curiously at him.

“Is there a problem?” the boy asks.

The girl is looking at him with furrowed brows until she exclaims, “Bowl Cut!”

The boy stifles a laugh while Tobio’s cheeks flush in embarrassment.

“Wh-who are you calling bowl cut?” Tobio says gruffly.

“Oops. Sorry.” She giggles. “Hey,” she says, tapping her dancing partner on the shoulder, “can we stop? I’ll dance with Bowl Cut over here.”

“Wha—” Tobio asks with wide eyes. But the girl sends him a look and he shuts his mouth.

The boy looks dejected. “I haven’t asked your—”

“Thank you so much for the dance!” she cuts him off, and the boy has no choice but to slowly and reluctantly walk away.

She sighs in relief when the boy’s out of sight before turning to him. “Thanks for saving me, Bowl Cut. I don’t really like dancing at all.”

“How-wha—” Tobio stutters, still speechless. “I don’t have a bowl cut….Shrimp,” he manages, horrified because he’s actually bullying a girl. He stills, ready for the lash out that’s about to come.

To his surprise, the girl laughs, no trace on her face that says he offended her. “That’s okay. You can call me ‘shrimp,’ but I’ll call you ‘bowl cut.’”

This is the strangest conversation Tobio has ever come across, so he just nods.

“Now, Bowl Cut, do you want to tour the castle with me? It’s my first time here so I want a look around. You’ve probably been here many times, so you can tour me instead of Hitoka, I guess.”

Tobio shakes his head. “It’s my first time here, too.”

The girl’s, who is now, uh, Shrimp’s, eyes widen. “Really? Then let’s go explore!”

She grips his hand, and they run out of the hall together. Tobio doesn’t complain, and the reason why eludes him. Maybe because he wants to take a look around the castle, too? Shrimp is nothing but a stranger, but he doesn’t feel scared at all with her.

He and Shrimp check out every corridor, every room, every nook and cranny. Yachi Kingdom is indeed blessed with many talented artists. They ooh and ahh and laugh and question every piece of art. As they explore more parts of the castle, Tobio’s heart feels lighter.

Shrimp is fun to be with. She filled the silence with comments about the castle, the weather, everything. If it were another person, Tobio would’ve been bored, irritated even. But Shrimp’s different. He wonders why. Because she’s a girl? He watches Shrimp snort and throw her head back at something she found funny. Tobio’s inside squeezed. No, it’s not because she’s a girl, though that might’ve added to the appeal.

It’s just that Shrimp’s really pretty.

“Whoa, look at that painting with the funny-looking woman,” she says, pulling on his sleeve to catch his attention. The thing is, she already has Tobio’s attention.

He looks down at her small hand curled around his sleeve and feels really warm. He wishes there is a remote where he can press pause to savor this moment with Shrimp, because he’s really, really having so much fun.

“Hey, Bowl Cut, look at this one! It’s so weird! A naked guy with a leaf. Pfft.” She snorts. “Looks a bit like you with that frown.”

Tobio moves his stare to the marble statue and frowns. “’S not.”

She laughs when she sees his frown. “See. It is!” she insists. “Especially if you do this.” She flattens her hair with her hands and gives a mean look. “‘Who are you calling bowl cut?’” she imitates in a gruff voice.

Tobio shoves her shoulder lightly and avoids her eyes. “Shut up.”

Shrimp teases him a bit more before moving onto another piece with newfound interest, like a hurricane, leaving Tobio always a step behind. The process repeats until they are back to the busy party hall.

Shrimp asks him for the time and panics when she hears it, saying she has to go, running away from him. Tobio frowns, the light feeling disappearing, and gapes when he sees Shrimp trip. He rushes over to help her up and she quickly gives him a _thanks_ before hightailing out of sight so fast he can only stare blankly after her.

Despite that, she is still so pretty.

It is then Tobio realizes he likes Shrimp. A lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tbh, I didn’t know what to call those dudes announcing royalty names in those royalty movies, so I just called them butler. Do enlighten me if you know what they’re called. The online guide inside Buckingham Palace wasn’t helpful at all.
> 
> And now I don’t know how to continue. Just kidding. I have a few ideas, but I’m still undecided. I’d love to hear some ideas, if guys you have any. I welcome them, so please don’t hesitate to share!
> 
> The real fun starts in the next chapter, but it’s not coming out the way I like it yet. In the meantime, I have to watch Pacific Rim so I can check out the famous Pacific Rim AU fic! I didn’t know about that movie until I heard of the AU because I live under a rock.


End file.
